Facade
by xynad
Summary: It was his duty to protect her from all harm at all cost.. but being her friend was way beyond it


FACADE  
  
Prologue:  
  
It was his duty to protect her from harm at all cost... but being her friend was way beyond it..  
  
A/N:  
  
My first ever NeonXKurapika fic, inspired mostly by the fics I've read about them. It's amazing how the things we read affect our way of thinking, isn't it? I'm usually more of a yaoist but then,I think I'm actually starting to love this pair. I'm not that good and I'm new, so be easy on me, okay? ~^^~  
  
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Two days have gone by ever since her predicting powers were stolen. She knew vaguely it was her own fault, being a brat and all. But who could blame her? She was innocent, she was just a child who wanted nothing else but her freedom, just like a dove kept inside a steel cage. She was not exposed to the cruelty of the real world, and was provided with all the luxuries a teenager like her could ever want. It was because of this lack of exposure that she tend to trust anybody, as if all the people around her were her maids and bodyguards. And besides, that guy who stole her powers, Kuroro, was different and he seemed nice and approachable. He seemed like a friend.. someone she actually didn't have before. Sure, she had all those companions around her but she knew what the only reason was. And now, now that the sole reason was gone, now that it was stolen, she found herself thrown into the room like a rag doll of no purpose.  
  
"Neon-sama?! Neon-sama! Please open the door!" she heard a maid shout.  
  
"Neon-sama, onegai! You have not eaten for two days now! If you're awake, please answer us!" cried Elaiza, her personal maid.  
  
Neon covered her ears, not wanting to hear their demanding voices anymore. Why would they care? Who cares if she dies? She knew the truth. They were just being concerned because they were paid for it, and it was a part of their job. If her father wasn't that rich, she wouldn't have anyone by her side at all.  
  
She hugged her knees closer to her bosom and stared at the ceiling, in a trance. Her whole body was rigid, and she was shaking. She was never the type of girl who would be so sensitive and she used to quickly dismiss all the pain, all the horrifying truth away from her mind and focused instead on the only thing that made the people around her care for her. She didn't care if she acted bratty, that was the way she was supposed to be, isn't it? But now, she had nothing to pry her attention away from the loneliness that she tried to suppress long ago. Because now, she had lost everything.  
  
She got up from her position and scarmbled around her room to find a pen and a paper. Surely, she thought, her prediction didn't depend entirely upon the Lovely Ghost Writer. She took the pen in her right hand and focused all her remaining strength in it. But still nothing came, much to her dismay. Her emerald eyes seething with rage, she threw the pen as hard as she could and the paper fell to her side. She looked around her rummaged room. Everything was a mess. Before, she loved all sorts of things in her room but none of these seemed appealing to her now. She walked towards the sofa, her long white dress flailing softly behind her as she stepped upon the carpeted floor. She allowed herself to fall down at the foot of the soft-cushioned chair and leaned her face in it as her crimson hair fell on her shoulders.  
  
'Why'   
  
That was the only question that escaped her lips. She remained in such a position for quite a long time until she heard the voices outside suddenly hush. Then, she heard footsteps going away, father away from her room.  
  
'They finally gave up on me' she thought to herself. If the situation wasn't like this, she could've sworn that the girl sitting on the carpet wasn't Neon Nostrad. Suddenly, the door flung open and she heard quiet, barely audible footsteps entering her room. As soon as the stranger, whoever it was, entered, the door was quickly closed and she heard the click of the lock. Turning her head slightly to see the bastard who dared eneter her room, she wasn't surprised at all.  
  
Her emerald green eyes were met with the coldest, gray eyes that refused to reveal anything. She looked at him from her disheveled state and saw the usual cold eyes, the fair blond hair, the tribal suit he always wore and the jingling chains on his right hand. Him, of course, the head bodyguard. She knew him by name, Kurapika, and had even spoken to him once. She wasn't surprised by the fact that the maids called him to take care of her. He was adapt in everything, not to mention intelligent that the other older guards chose him to be their leader in exchange for the one who died despite being the youngest, despite being the same age as Neon herself. Chronologically, yes but in terms of maturity and way of thinking, he was beyond her. He had such a mysterious aura around him and possessed such wisdom that made her admire him. She even thought of playing poker with him once but his cold eyes served as a barrier that made her think he was different from anybody else.  
  
"What do you want?" Neon asked monotonously. Kurapika walked nearer and stopped just in front of her.  
  
"Neon-sama, your father sent me here to take care of you," he replied with such formaltiy that irritated Neon more than she already was.  
  
"Shut up!" she commanded.  
  
"I will, after you've eaten," he replied flatly.  
  
"Well, if you came here just to make me eat, you've just wasted your time coz I won't!" she replied and leaned on the chair again.  
  
"Neon-sama, if you don't want to eat, then at least rest," he complied.  
  
"In your dreams," she replied. She heard him sigh and she closed her eyes but he interrupted.  
  
"If I have to kneel before you you rest, I will," he said arrogantly. Neon raised an accusing eyebrow. Surely, like anybody else, he was just all talk. She really didn't believe he would do it until his knees slowly gave way and there he was. Kneeling in front of her.  
  
"Kurapika, I.." she stammered as she backed away.  
  
Neon was taken aback. It was the first time he ever saw him lay down his pride, and he did it for her. Sure, she knew he was being paid for this added duty but all of her doubts melted as she looked staright into his eyes. For the very first time, she saw his eyes smile and she realized he was indeed different.  
  
He cares...  
  
As their eyes met, she noticed that beneath those cold gray ones were warm blue ones, warm, cerulean blue eyes that revealed a pool of sorrow. She was wrong. All those things Kurapika did was purely business but the cold gray eyes were purely facade. Biting her lip, she flung unto Kurapika's lithe and slender figure and silently cried herself out, letting go of all the troubles she had been hiding for so long.  
  
"Neon-sama?" Kurapika asked but upon hearing no reply, he decided to do what he was best at. Remain silent as the young, once bratty girl poured her heart to him. He shivered as he felt all his master's troubles yet he cannot do anything to make her feel better. He did not know what to say for words always fail him, and he cannot do anything but remain quiet. Suppressed sobs were forced out of the young girl's throat as she buried her head in the young Kuruta's chest, hearing his calm and soothing heartbeat and his deep breathing. The young boy's arms were comforting enough that he need not speak for at that moment, no words were necessary. As the contented sobs died down, he tilted his head to check whether Neon was alright. Seeing that she had fallen fast asleep already, he carried her to her bed and tucked her tight. Meanwhile, the young girl slept peacefully, her heart free of the usual pain it concealed.  
  
***  
  
Emerald green eyes suddenly darted open, still unseeing for a moment.Upon sitting down at the bed, she saw that it was still dark, probably around dawn. She looked around and allowed her eyes to get accustomed to the darkness. She looked around. There on her bedside table was a tray of food and all the mess she left before she slept was already cleaned up. And there, at the foot of her bed lay an angelic, sleeping figure. The blond boy sat on a chair with his head at the foot of her bed. He looked so vulnerable yet so charming that all she could do was sigh as she brushed away a lock of golden hair that covered his closed eyes. He looked so tired that the last thing she wanted to do was to disturb him. His cheeks looked pale and he was rather out of color and it seemed that he needed rest much more than she did.  
  
Thankful now that the lights were low, she planted a shy and gentle kiss on the young Kuruta's forehead. The wind blew softly, making the leaves rustle loudly and carrying the unspoken words of the young girl's heart.  
  
"Arigatou..." 


End file.
